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We all know that a pile of straw, if set on fire, will burn.

However, most people are surprised at how flame-resistant compacted straw is.

The main reason for this is that the oxygen needed for combustion does not get into the material, and the high mineral and silica content creates a charred, unburnable protective layer that quickly extinguishes the embers, preventing the material from burning through.

A number of laboratory experiments have demonstrated the flame resistance of coated compressed straw insulation.

To name a good exemple, the French RFCP makes available and downloadable accredited laboratory test reports on straw insulation.

Based on one of these, the lime-sand coated small cubic bale wall has been awarded a very favourable B-s1, d0 reaction to fire rating in 2019 according to EN ISO 13501-1:2007+A1:2009.

This translates to:

B - Combustible materials Difficult to ignite/Very limited contribution to fire

s1 - Smoke emissions absent or very little

d0 - No burning droplets

When testing the resistance to fire of complete multi-storey wall sections, a very reassuring REI 120 value was measured, which means that the structural elements can resist fire for at least two hours (120 minutes) with respect to load bearing capacity, integrity and insulation capacity.

This is only one exemple from France.

If you widen your browsing you will find a plethora of measurement protocols from around the world.

Results may vary slightly, depending mainly on the type of plaster used in the experiment but the conclusion will always be the same: compacted, coated straw is very hard to burn.

Modern reaper-thresher machines (combine harvesters) are extremely efficient, so that the straw that is processed is practically completely free of wheat.

The raw material for thermal insulation is therefore not a food source for rodents, insects and small birds, as the straw itself is indigestible for them.

As with any other thermal insulation material, straw is of interest to small animals as a shelter, but only if it can be accessed.

In this respect, the GS Straw Insulation System performs particularly well!

Its external "bulletproof" layer (GS Shield) is so dense that it forms an impenetrable barrier against external intruders.

The metal wire bonding of the GS Shield modules is a guarantee that this protection will be maintained over time.

One more important feature to mention here : GS modules do not slump thanks to their innovative bonding process.

This means that over time, no cavities or tunnels are created inside the insulation, so there is no possibility for rodents to colonise the insulation.

Under strict quality control, only clean and dry straw is processed during production.

In order to ensure that this quality assurance process is not interrupted when the modules leave the production site and that the user is guaranteed a product of impeccable quality, a label is affixed to the modules during production.

The label contains a Liquid Contact Indicator, which will be irreversibly discoloured if the module has been exposed to water during transport, an Maximum Humidity Tracker, which records the highest humidity value during transport to the end user, and a product ID, which provides information on the history of the module (type of raw material, origin, harvest date, production date).

Once on site, it is the responsibility of the contractor to protect the modules from moisture until installation.

Yes, modules can be cut along any straight or broken line, or even along curves.

This allows them to fit precisely into any structural opening, ensuring perfect alignment of the façade layout at openings and break-throughs.

One thing is not possible: to slice a 20cm thick module into two 10cm thick modules.

This means that when ordering, you need to know two parameters: the surface area to be insulated and the thickness of the insulation.

This information is given in the architectural design documentation.

We will start selling the products in France (and neighbouring regions).

We currently have three processes running in parallel; the establishment of the appropriate legal entity, the completion of the intellectual property procedures and the technical certification of the products,

The bureaucratic processes are time consuming, but fortunately we are at an advanced stage.

We are optimistic that products will be available for purchase in the first half of 2022.

If you are seriously interested in GS straw modules, we encourage you to contact us by filling in the contact form on this page.

The more precisely you describe your needs, the better it is.

It will help us a lot in planning our production capacity and of course those we are in contact with will have priority for delivery.

The straw material itself is available in large quantities and cheaply.

Hemp cord is a little more expensive, but we love working with it and it is not compatible with our philosophy to replace it with a polymer cord just for financial reasons.

The production and logistics are pretty much the same for all insulqtion products, regardless of the raw materials used.

The result of the above is that for small thicknesses (5 to 10cm), GS Thermo modules will be available at a price per square metre comparable to that of products currently available on the market.

The difference becomes more noticeable at higher thicknesses.

According to our current price estimates, a 25cm thick module will cost 35-40% less than a thermal insulation product of the same thickness made of other materials.

GS Shield is a special building element, its production requires several supplementary stages of work (spraying the coating, drying), but saves a lot of labour in the field.

We do not yet have a price tag for GS Shield modules.